We know we still have talent....and I agree it is confusing to see them looking a bit lost. Perhaps it isn't that the new system is bad, but it is taking up too much of their brain space trying to adjust to a new system. Seems to have robbed them of their joie de vivre.
The system is dreadful - we have good enough players, but we need movement, pace and width going forward. That has been lacking thus far.
You seem to understand the diamond. I asked earlier if anyone could explain what it's strengths are, no one has stepped up yet. Perhaps you could explain it?
Tony Husband has tweeted "very early days but after doing post match iv's today, you sense #saintsfc players still wrestling with tactics of Puel?
We started off brightly and looked very good for about 15 minutes. We were pretty terrible the rest of the first half. The start second half, we were not as bad. We did a better job on defense and were able to keep possession and dictate play to some extent. But I think the consensus is that we really weren't creating good chances and it was just pointless back-and-forth diamond tactic passing. I am somewhat defending the diamond, but I think I'm the only one. Then Fonte gave up a stupid penalty. Then we threw a bunch of attackers on, and Sunderland tried to park the bus. Rodriguez got a somewhat lucky goal that looked like it took just enough of a deflection to throw Pickford off and squirm underneath him. Would say the general consensus (with a few dissenters) was that VVD and Targett were good. Fonte was bad. Diamond formation was bad. Puel was bad because he played the diamond, but if he stops doing that he might be okay.
Damn just seen Van Dijk slamming the system. "Players don't know what they are doing. The tactics aren't good enough".
In my head it should, if executed well, allow you to play two up front (a luxury rarely afforded for many a year, since 4-4-2 went out of fashion pre-Leciester) and play a creative talent behind, in a fairly free role. I'm not sure one of those strikers is meant to flicking back and forth between CM, and the other back and forth between RM, though. But even if executed well, it still leaves you short out wide and, in particular, in front of the defence. It can't be a coincidence that you hardly ever see it. Having midfielders who can consistently hit the target from distance also appears to be quite an important of the system.
But on a positive note Andy Leventhal has tweeted that he has been told that Boufal medical will be done tomorrow.
